New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-16
sURLY COLLECTOR MAGONE.
COMPLAINTS ABOUT HIS MANNERS.
MERCHANTS SAY THAT HE TREATS THEM WIFE
III

~~-~~~~-~N~N
NCIvuITY.
Good morning Mr Collector" said wellknown
Custom House broker approaching Collector Magone
not long ago to transact some business. Quick and
gruf came the reply, Never mind about that, what's
your business 7"
This method OF treating merchants brOk-
ers and others who have TO transact
business with him has led 20 loud complaints
concerning the Collectors manners, and a number Oh
merchants have letters on the subject to the secre
tary the Treasury One of these houses-Megroz For
tier Crosse Co-appears to have profted by this meth
cd OF meeting the case member OF the firm said yes
terday when inquiry made by him on the subject:
1--WE arc getting along all right now. We objected TO
being treated by the Collector we were thieves and
we wrote to the Treasury Department concerning 1t
Since then we have had trouble The Collectors ar
bitrary ways are not pleasant, to say the least"
member OF another importing house said
that he was summoned to tho Collectors Office
to explain something concerning an in
voice. and that there He waited two hours and
in the meantime saw "Tim 4" Campbell, Nick " Muller
and several other Democratic politicians admitted to
the Collectors presence and have conferences
with him, while he was kept waiting. AS
his time was valuable he went away and came back the
next day only to wait several hours more &c saw the
Collector at last and the matter was so trivial that the
IL 10 his attention but that poor satisfaction
to me Int n to bs meboS Of tann r
venge by the customs authorities the members OF the firm
however to the publication OF the following letter.
Gently by them TO the Secretary of the Treasury
ne HS.Sra f ret on S 1o5 Ta ,end wd 70 Ss %a2
present Collector OF the Port has OF arbitrarily treating mer
to give explanations Which he won't i:iSn TO-
enoe 70 %hch ne sd M for some Gng reason on
he 1sSn IN e S efG n R @
convenience and will no information as to when that
We cannot think It the intention United States Gov.
merchants endeayoring 70 DO their business
honorable treated by oWcAlS
as they were not h TO be spoken 70 OF 3 e IN any
sppoin but since his confirmation
those Who come in Contact with him Than before
This morning one OF the partners OF hs house waited upon
why goods should not be seized on which there
a aa Been % TSe SoSeor looking az tho matter Tst
WITH and to release goods The quidatng clerk then
sed to ms attention that we had ATTACHED 10 ne invoice
order obtain possession Of the goods but not to DO under
value prejudice other invoice Of the same
Understand that small advance might easily DO
gladly paid for by us IN order to get samples from which We
otherwise delay be lost and yet would de-
our opinion value For unexplained reason tho
Ie1y % ~ W anger and aBnssa lie Of a1r firm
waited upon him In most uncailoiiof way, stating
that he considered insult TO the Goyernment officials
Government Official by the memorandum and he even went
Statement On The invoSe and threatened to sue US Tor
perjury before & petty gs on ana m.n aso mi, stated tS
made penalty the Invoice aud cannot con
for such outrageous treatment the
Of the Collector. WehaVe doubt that many of our
competitors have already written you that they received
much tho treatment know THIS sort OF
- a We cOuli. In this IN
stance shown tho Collector, had he been willing TO
that the appraiser had himself maie what
consde appraiscment For Instance
part item 10 the invoice originally Sc 3D.
which we made an aitanoe Of OIL thus making II e
through OF the entry clerk who deducted this Sd
adding had entered H. sending the
Of the appraiser AIDE advance
II restoring only the oginal price OF Is DID, but
entry CLERK found out his sent for
nsderAOn the appraiser erased his figures and left
entered Is another which FINALLY Is 3D.
entry the appraiser at Ia nsca Of g. 'e
raised I'd. but whom tho entry clerk scat
corrected 81 instead OF 7A he then altered hs
apprasemont Sz 3D. 10 "a IL would that tho
explanation any necessary should from tho side
the Collector the side OF the merchant but tho
practice be simply call for he merchant 70 come
Condemned without even an opportunity 20 ask why.
4 reporter called on tho frtn Of james McCrcery &
Co, who said TO have been badly treated Mr. Mo
Creepy said that IL mistake member OF the firm
la been summoned 10 tie Collectors oce but he had
complaint 10 make OF the Collectors treatment He
thought Mr.. MagOue did well could be expected
country lawyer not familiar with New York bust
methods Mr.. McCreery thOdgh II strange that the
President should outside the cly 90 get Collector
for this port But no expressed the opinion that
there great deal OF differentiation la importing
goods and he thought the complaints against the COloo
tOI largely from that fact
Another large dry goods house engaged In importing
said that members OF the firm bad been summoned TO
the Collectors office though they had nothing 10 DO
cept to his beck and call " II We refuse 10
OF sucr The complaints generally about
small matters. due much to the Collectors Ignorance
Of business methods anything else Hts arbitrary and
Insulting manners arc matter OF general complaint
among morchants"